European Commission President: Europe is flooded with disinformation and manipulation from Russia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, photo by EPA/UPG

Europe is currently being flooded with disinformation and manipulation from Russia, which the Kremlin thinks would contribute to the weakening of support for Ukraine, said the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the European Economic Congress in Katowice, reports Ukrinform.

According to her, in recent weeks, multiple cyberattacks were reported, as well as disinformation campaigns and other hybrid attacks, along with long-term espionage campaigns directed against EU nations.

"What is happening now in Ukraine and what Ukrainian soldiers are fighting for is also about us... This is a war that is about border changes in Europe, about a European war and the destruction of Ukraine's independence. Let us remember that this is also a war with the EU and the entire international system that operates according to principles," von der Leyen emphasized.

She added that Putin seeks the return of empires and authoritarianism: "He wants to dominate our continent, and this is not some hypothetical threat, but an open goal that he has declared."

The President of the European Commission emphasized that in case of being re-elected, she will appoint the European Commissioner for Defense Affairs. The commissioner’s task will be to support and develop the most modern defense industry, to present a white paper on the extent to which Europe is ready to defend and protect itself against external aggression.

On May 3, 2024, the Prosecutor General's Office says it is recording a significant uptick in Russian psychological and informational oprations. The purpose of these operations is to limit the international aid to Ukraine and to divert global attention away from the premeditated war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine daily and on a large scale.